The Russian north has always held a fairy-tale appeal for its wooden architecture, historical monuments and expanses of forest, marshland and lakes. Nestled in the northeastern corner of the Vologda region, the town of Veliky Ustyug is no exception. Though a small settlement of some 30,000 people, it boasts a venerable historical pedigree and enjoys a special cachet among tourists after being designated the "hometown" of Ded Moroz in 1998. A figure akin to Santa Claus in the West, Ded Moroz (or Father Frost) traditionally brings presents to children on New Year's Eve. Snegurochka (or Snow Maiden), his granddaughter, typically accompanies him at Russian Christmas celebrations. In particular, Veliky Ustyug prides itself on its centuries-old Orthodox Christian churches, of which there are more than a dozen dating to the 16th and 17th centuries in the center alone
Attractions
- Cathedral Court.
- Buldakov and Usov mansions.
- Ded Moroz excursion.
